The opening night of the Choctaw Indian Fair is an exciting night for many young Choctaw ladies. Each year at the Choctaw Indian Fair a new Choctaw Indian Princess is crowned.

The title of Choctaw Indian Princess is a very prestigious title that holds many responsibilities. The Princess serves as an ambassador for the Choctaw Tribe. During her year in reign, she travels around the country, many times with the Tribal Miko, to promote awareness of the Tribe.

The competition provides young Choctaw ladies the opportunity to showcase her abilities as an ambassador. Each contestant competes in four categories: formal dress, traditional dress, speech and interview.

During the Wednesday night competition each contestant showcases beautiful evening gowns and vibrant traditional dresses. The young ladies wear colorful, ornate beadwork and carry a hand woven Choctaw basket with their traditional dress.

In addition to the traditional dress portion of the pageant, each contestant presents a short speech to the audience that addresses Choctaw culture.

For more information on pagaent history and traditional dress, visit www.choctaw.org.